A source familiar with Google's thinking said that any decision to move ahead with a venture capital unit was in very preliminary stages and that no firm decisions had been taken.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
is considering setting up its own venture capital investment arm, the
Wall Street Journal said on Wednesday, citing several people briefed on
the discussions.

David Drummond, the Internet search leader's senior vice president
of corporate development and chief legal officer, would lead the
investment business, the Journal said. Google has hired William Maris,
a former Web hosting entrepreneur, to help set up the unit, the paper
said.

A Google spokesman confirmed that Maris has been hired but declined to comment further.

A source familiar with the company's thinking told Reuters that any
decision to move ahead with a venture capital unit was in very
preliminary stages and that no firm decisions had been taken.

According to a 2005 posting on Global Envision, a humanitarian aid
site, Maris worked as a partner with Anne Wojcicki in a health
investment fund called Catalytic Health. Last year Wojcicki married
Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Maris created his own Web hosting company called Burlee.com, which
is now part of Atlanta-based Web.com. He also made investments in
technology companies for Sweden's wealthy Wallenberg family, according
to the Global Envision site.